High flow regulating and relief valve

ABSTRACT

A regulating and relief valve is disclosed characterized by being able to provide two stages of regulation. The first stage of regulation controls total fluid flow to the fluid pressure regulating second stage. This permits the valve to interface between a high-flow (or high-pressure) source and a utilization means requiring greatly reduced maximum pressures.

United States Patent [72] Inventors Neal B. Rothfum;

Frederick Kaiser, Clinton, N.Y. [2]] Appl. No. 832,110

[22] Filed June 11, 1969 [45] Patented Apr. 27, 1971 [73] AssigneeTheBendix Corporation [54] HIGH FLOW REGULATING AND RELIEF VALVE3Claims,2Drawing Figs.

[52] 0.8.0 137/116.5, 137/505.l3, 137/505.18,137/505.41,137/505.12,137/613 [51] lnt.Cl ..G05d11/00, F16k3l/12 [50] Fieldol'Searchl37/116.3, l16.5,505.ll,505.12,505.l3,613

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,214,445 1/1917 Fauseketal137/505.11X

1,477,244 12/1923 Collins et al. 137/613X 2,002,884 5/1935 Deming137/505.12 2,192,042 2/1940 Hoffmann 137/505.13X 3,153,424 10/1964 Ackeret a1. 137/505.11X 3,425,442 2/1969 Johnson et al. l37/505.15

Primary Examiner-Laveme D. Geiger Assistant Examiner-David J. ZobkiwAtt0meysRobert A. Benziger and Plante, Arens, Hartz, Hix

and Smith PATENTED mm 1971 3576;193

FIGURE FREDERICK A. KAISER NEAL B. ROTHFUSS HIGH FLOW REGULA'I'ING ANDRELIEF VALVE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention Thepresent invention relates to regulating valves in general and toregulating valves for aircraft deicer systems in particular.

2. Description of the Prior Art The prior art regulating valves foraircraft deicer systems are designed to interface with presurizedsources so as to produce a certain regulated output pressure, having amaximum output pressure on the order of p.s.i.g., to be applied to theaircrafl deicing bootsrThe maximum output pressure is critical asexcessive pressure will rupture the boots or separate them from theaircraft. Either of these situations is extremely dangerous as eithersituation would seriously alter the aerodynamic characteristics of theaircraft. In order to prevent overpressurization, the prior art valvesare equipped with relief means, responsive to output pressure, to ventthe downstream side of the valve to a low-pressure dump (usually theatmosphere in pneumatic systems) to prevent boot damage. However, aspneumatic and hydraulic power operated accessories are increasing inusage and in pressure demands the pressure output of aircraftpressurizing systems is gradually being increased both for new aircraftand for existing aircraft. This presents a potential safety hazardsince, while regulating valves are generally capable of providing acontrolled output pressure regardless of input pressure, the reliefvalve function is generally designed to handle a worst situationcondition of venting a portion of the output pressure to atmospherewhile maintaining the output pressure available to the deicer boots ator near the regulated pressure when the regulating valve is jammed wideopen. Of course, whenever input pressures are increased, the reliefvalve means immediately become inadequate. It is, therefore, an objectof this invention to provide, in a regulating and relief valve, a meansfor permitting the valve to operate successfully with a wide range ofinput pressures. Furthermore, in order to provide a regulating andrelief valve suitable for use in presently existing aircraft, it is afurther object of the present invention to provide such a feature in aregulating and relief valve capable of fitting present size and spacerestrictions.

The known prior art devices have relied upon sensing of the fluidpressure downstream of the valve in order to control the regulating andoverpressure relief functions which are necessary in such a valve. Thestate of the art of pressurizing systems for aircraft use is such thatdownstream sensing is not completely adequate to provide systemprotection for aircraft deicer boots and the like since a system failurewill readily result in a drastic alteration of the aerodynamics of theassociated aircraft such that the aircraft goes into a crashconfiguration. It is, therefore, necessary to provide a means forsensing fluid pressure upstream of the valve and of utilizing suchinformation to assist the regulating and relief valve to perform itsfunction while reducing the potential for adverse effects to thepressure utilization system downstream of the valve. It is an object ofthe present invention to provide a means of reducing a high-pressurefluid input to the region of pressure acceptable to the prior artregulating and relief valves. Keeping in mind the increasing use ofhigh-pressure fluid systems and the increase in pressure output of fluidsources, it is a further object of the present invention to provide ameans of controlling the output of a high-pressure source which means iscapable of inclusion in the prior art regulating valve housings withoutrequiring fluid system alterations. It is a still further object of thepresent invention to provide a complete regulating valve for retrofit inaircraft deicer systems utilizing higher pressure sources thanoriginally called for by the aircraft specifications.

Since fluid pressure and fluid flow in a given system may be directlyrelated, it is a still further object of the present invention toprovide a flow-throttling valve upstream of the pressure regulatingvalve in an aircraft deicer regulatory valve to limit the fluid pressurewhich the valve must regulate to a region in which the relief functionwill provide complete protection in the worst situation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION We have found that a castellated or flutedvalve cylinder, responsive to input pressure, may be incorporated in aregulating valve of the above-described character to limit or throttlethe flow of fluid to the regulating valve seat so that the regulatingand relief functions will be satisfactorily performed. The throttlingvalve is spring biased away from the valve seat and, in the presence ofinput pressure in excess of a predetermined amount, will be urged towardthe valve seat until it surrounds the valve seat and abuts a stop atwhich point the castellations provide a reduced flow area through whichpressurized fluid flow is throttled.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FlG. I of the drawing shows, in anelevational sectional view, a regulating and relief valve according tothe present invention.

FIG. 2 shows, in perspective, the throttling cylinder.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to thesingle FIGURE in the drawing, the present invention is shown as appliedto a pressure regulating and overpressure relief valve 10. The valve 10has two main body portions, the fluid conduit containing, or lower, bodyportion 12 and the upper body portion 14 which contains the pressureregulating and overpressure relief control means 16. Fluid flow entersthe lower body portion 12 through inlet 18 and is communicated throughsuitable passage means 20 to the valve seat 22. Fluid then flows out ofthe valve 10 through outlet passage means 24.

Fluid flow through the valve seat 22 is controlled by the regulatingvalve 26 which is formed on valve rod 28 and is positioned by themovable wall portion or diaphragm 30. The position of the diaphragm 30is controlled by the balance of pressure of the spring means 32 and theoutlet fluid pressure in chamber 34 which is in communication with theoutlet passage 24 through interconnecting passage means 36. Adjustmentmeans 40 control the bias of spring means 32 so as to provide for anadjustable regulation of the valve means 26.

Overpressure relief is provided by normally closed passage means 42which communicate outlet passage pressure to the cap 44 which is biasedto communicate the outlet passage pressure to a fluid dump or reservoir(such as the atmosphere) in the event that outlet pressure exceeds apredetermined value controlled by biasing means 46.. The valve asdescribed to this point is satisfactory with pressure systems supplyinginlet :fluid pressure up to a moderate value which, depending on thephysical dimensions of the valve, may be on the order of 40 p.s.i.g.However, in event of a failure of the regulating valve to function, itis possible that inlet pressures significantly above a moderate valuewould be communicated to the outlet of the valve, diminished onlyslightly by the relief valve means. This would result in overpressuresupply to the components downstream of the valve and in aircraft deicersystems, this would cause the deicer boots to over inflate and ruptureor separate from the aircraft. Such a situation could result in a crash.

To prevent the possibility of such an occurrence, the present inventionincludes a flow-throttling means, indicated generally by 48 to limit theavailable fluid flow at the valve seat 22 to a value which, in theextreme situation corresponds to the amount of excess fluid which therelief is able to handle to maintain outlet passage pressure below thepermissible maximum. The flow-throttling means comprise a castellated orfluted cylinder 50 located in a substantially surrounding relationshipwith the valve rod 28. The throttling cylinder 50 is biased away fromthe valve seat 22 by suitable biasing means shown here as spring 52. Thelower end of throttling cylinder 52 includes a broadened piston member54 to which inlet fluid pressure is communicated via passage means 56.The position of cylinder 50 with respect to the valve seat 22 is,therefore, controlled by the balance of inlet fluid pressure on thepiston member 54 and the biasing means 52. The throttling cylinder 50further includes castellations or flutes 58 operative to prevent thethrottling cylinder 50 from completely closing oh" the valve seat 22from the inlet passage means and voids 60, intermediate thecastellations 58 to provide the fluid passage when the castellationsabut the valve seat 22.

In operation, the inlet fluid pressure is applied to the piston end 54of the cylinder 50, by passage means 56. However,

spring 52 is operative to maintain the throttling valve 50 in a positionremote from the valve seat 22 until such time as the inlet fluidpressure exceeds the preset bias of spring 52. If the regulating andrelief valve, according to the present invention, is placed in operationin a system wherein the maximum input pressure does not exceed the biasof spring 52, the throttling valve 50 will not come into use. if, on theother hand, the input pressure exceeds the spring bias, the throttlingcylinder will be urged toward the valve seat 22. Regardless of theposition of the throttling cylinder 50 and assuming no malfunctions ofthe system in general, the regulating valve 26 will continue to maintainthe output pressure at the desired level. However, the regulating gapbetween valve 26 and seat 22 will be increased as the throttlingcylinder 50 approaches the seat 22 since the pressure differentialthrough which the valve 26 must operate to provide the required outputpressure will be reduced. This provides an additional benefit in thatregulating accuracy can be improved if the regulating valve is notrequired to operate in close proximity to the valve seat. The throttlingvalve 5i) will have little effect on the regulating valve until the areaof the gap between the throttling valve 50 and the seat 22 approachesthe area of the gap between the regulating valve 26 and seat 22. Fromthis point until the throttling valve 50 abuts the valve seat 22, travelof the throttling valve 5% toward the seat 22 causes the fluid pressureimmediately upstream of the regulating valve 26 to begin to decrease.This is, of course, a dynamic effect rather than a static effect in thata pressure reduction is observed only during those portions of theoperating cycle in which fluid flows through the regulating valve means.

In those operating situations wherein the pressure of the supply sourceis very high, say for instance, on the order of l50200 p.s.i.g., thethrottling valve 50 will move into an abutting relationship with thevalve seat 22 such that the castellations 58 are in intimate contactwith valve seat 22. This will not, however, completely terminate theintercommunication between the regulating valve 26 and the fluid supply,now shown, since voids 60 will maintain this communication. The voids 60are sized to provide a small fluid flow area to provide a maximumthrottling action upstream of the regulating valve 26.

We claim:

1. A combined regulating and relief valve for fluid systems comprising:

valve housing means having first passage means adapted to transmit fluidflow therethrough;

a valve seat disposed in said first passage means, said valve seatdividing said first passage means into an upstream portion and adownstream portion;

regulating valve means disposed in said housing means in a flowcontrolling relationship with said valve seat and operative to regulateflow through said first passage means;

means operative to control said regulating valve means, said operativemeans being responsive to pressure in said downstream portion of saidfirst passage means; relief valve means disposed in said valve housingmeans operative to provide fluid relief to said downstream portion ofsaid first passage means in the event that pressure therein exceeds apredetermined value; and flow-throttling means disposed in said valvehousing means upstream of said valve seat operative to throttle flowthrough said valve seat independent of said regulating valve means inresponse to fluid pressure in said upstream portion of said firstpassage means in the event that pressure therein exceeds a predeterminedvalue.

2. The valve as claim in claim 1 wherein said flow-throttling meanscomprise:

a throttling cylinder reciprocally disposed about said regulating valvemeans operative to throttle flow through said valve seat independent ofsaid regulating valve means;

biasing means operative to bias said cylinder away from said valve seat;and

second passage means operative to communicate fluid pressure from saidupstream portion of said first passage means to said cylinder inopposition to said biasing means.

3. The valve as claimed in claim 2 wherein said throttling cylinderincludes projections operative to limit the travel of said cylinder inopposition to the biasing means without tenninating fluid communicationthrough the valve seat.

1. A combined regulating and relief valve for fluid systems comprising:valve housing means having first passage means adapted to transmit fluidflow therethrough; a valve seat disposed in said first passage means,said valve seat dividing said first passage means into an upstreamportion and a downstream portion; regulating valve means disposed insaid housing means in a flow controlling relationship with said valveseat and operative to regulate flow through said first passage means;means operative to control said regulating valve means, said operativemeans being responsive to pressure in said downstream portion of saidfirst passage means; relief valve means disposed in said valve housingmeans operative to provide fluid relief to said downstream portion ofsaid first passage means in the event that pressure therein exceeds apredetermined value; and flow-throttling means disposed in said valvehousing means upstream of said valve seat operative to throttle flowthrough said valve seat independent of said regulating valve means inresponse to fluid pressure in said upstream portion of said firstpassage means in the event that pressure therein exceeds a predeterminedvalue.
 2. The valve as claim in claim 1 wherein said flow-throttlingmeans comprise: a throttling cylinder reciprocally disposed about saidregulating valve means operative to throttle flow through said valveseat independent of said regulating valve means; biasing means operativeto bias said cylinder away from said valve seat; and second passagemeans operative to communicate fluid pressure from said upstream portionof said first passage means to said cylinder in opposition to saidbiasing means.
 3. The valve as claimed in claim 2 wherein saidthrottling cylinder includes projections operative to limit the travelof said cylinder in opposition to the biasing means without terminatingfluid communication through the valve seat.